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The Laurie Berkner Band

Party Day!
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PreS-Gr 3—The first DVD from the Laurie Berkner Band in five years, this party-themed production features 12 original music videos, a mix of new songs and fan favorites. A party invitation drops from the sky and is opened, and Laurie and her band mates are surprised when a pop-up party room springs to life. They jump into the party where they are joined by a multicultural group of children who dance and sing along with the band. Berkner leads "This Hat," "Last Night I Had a Dream," and "Party Day." Then the band is invited to a birthday party where they sing "Balloons," "Shake Your Body Down," "Where Is the Cake?," and "Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday." Finally, they are transported to a pajama party and sing "The Cookie Bakers of the Night," "Choc-o-lot in My Pock-o-lot," "Pillowland," and "Goodnight." Footage of the band playing each song is mixed with shots of the children and computer-generated images, adding interest. Backdrops and costumes are bright and colorful, with lots of pop. The camera work is always sharp, panning, cutting in or out, or zooming in and out. Bonus materials on the DVD include Laurie recording an acoustic version of "My Family"; a music video of "I Really Love to Dance" with footage of a birthday concert; and "Meet the Band," four vignettes to acquaint fans with the band members. The bonus CD includes fives songs from the DVD. Once again, the Laurie Berkner Band does a terrific job of sharing the joy of their music with kids.—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , Oct 01, 2011

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